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Brooks Family History

Brooks Surname Meaning

English: usually a variant of Brook with excrescent -s. The optional addition of -s with no grammatical function is usually post-medieval but some examples of the same person's name occurring with and without -(e)s have been noted as early as the 14th century in South Lancashire. The -es in such cases probably has neither a plural nor a genitival function and the name means ‘dweller at the brook’ not ‘dweller at the brooks’. A plural sense cannot be ruled out elsewhere but a non-grammatical -(e)s must also be considered a strong possibility. Americanized form of one or more similar (like-sounding) Jewish surnames. Americanized form of German Brucks . Americanized form of Dutch Broeks an inflected form of Broek see Brook .

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Brook, Brookes, Brooke, Brock, Book, Booke, Fooks, Rook, Brookins

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Where is the Brooks family from?

You can see how Brooks families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Brooks family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Brooks families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 464 Brooks families living in New York. This was about 16% of all the recorded Brooks's in USA. New York had the highest population of Brooks families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Brooks surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Brooks ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Maid were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Brooks. 18% of Brooks men worked as a Laborer and 9% of Brooks women worked as a Maid. Some less common occupations for Americans named Brooks were Truck Driver and Housewife. .

View Census Data for Brooks | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Laborer
    18%
  • Farmer
    15%
  • Salesman
    4%
  • Truck Driver
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Maid
    9%
  • Housekeeper
    6%
  • Cook
    6%
  • Housewife
    6%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Brooks family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 1 million census records available for the last name Brooks. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Brooks census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

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Passenger Lists

There are 146,000 immigration records available for the last name Brooks. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

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Draft Cards

There are 252,000 military records available for the last name Brooks. For the veterans among your Brooks ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Brooks lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Brooks life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 1999. The average life expectancy for Brooks in 1940 was 43, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Brooks

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